Convertible hat



Nov. 2, 1965 N. RANDOLPH 3,214,769

' CONVERTIBLE HAT Filed June '7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 1'75 5A A/vcy RANDOLPH Nov. 2, 1965 N. RANDOLPH 3,214,759

CONVERTIBLE HAT Filed June 7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN TOR.

MA cy PAN/30L Pfl BY d-W ATTO/QA EY United States Patent Ofifiee3,214,769 Patented Nov. 2, 1965 3,214,769 CONVERTIBLE HAT NancyRandolph, The Darlington Apts, Apt. 106, 2025 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta9, Ga. Filed June 7, 1963, Ser. No. 286,230 Claims. (Cl. 2171) Thisinvention relates to a convertible hat and particularly to a womans hatwhich is readily converted from one appearance to another and comprisesan inner band covered by at least some strands of hair and an outer bandslightly larger than the inner band and slipped over the hair to holdthe inner and outer band in place and which may have decorative materialconfined therewith.

There is a demand for a hat for a lady which is easily carried andreadily removed when not in use and easily stored and vice versa whenneeded. For example, there are instances when women are not wearing ahat that they need something to wear either to a party or to church orto some other place and it would be desirable to carry this sort ofthing in the pocketbook at all times. The present invention can behandled in that manner.

Generally described, the invention comprises an inner fixed band or hoopof average size based upon the size of the average head and which isadapted to be placed on top of the head and to have selected strands ofhair pulled around and over the top of this inner band which rests ontop of the head. An outer band is constructed of resilient material orprovided with a resilient expansion means whereby although it isslightly larger than the inner band can be expanded to fit tightly overboth the strands of hair and the inner band. The outer band may have adecorative surface such as flowers or so forth thereon and if desired asan optional part of the invention a piece of decorative material with apattern or plain may be placed on top of the inner band and held inplace when the outer band is slipped thereover. In one form of theinvention the outer band is provided with a spring adjustment to allowextension whereas in another embodiment the outer band has a series offixed adjustments whereby the outer band can be permanently adjusted tofit the size space desired and left in that position and covered with amaterial as by wrapping with a plastic or velvet material. Also, it ispossible to construct the inner and outer bands of fixed size byallowing the proper space to correspond to the strands of hair and thethickness of velvet or other material used.

An object of this invention is to provide a quick hat which may bepositioned on the head in a hurry and which may be carried in thepocketbook.

A further object of this invention is to provide a hat mentioned in thepreceding paragraph which also may be altered or varied simply bychanging the wrapping or the material used between the inner and outerband.

Another object of this invention resides in the simplicity of the devicewherein in one form it may consist simply of a fixed inner and a fixedouter band covered by suitable cushion fabric or material.

Still another object of the present invention resides in the arrangementwhereby one inner band may be used with a plurality of different outerbands to provide selectively and instantly a number of variations in thelooks of the hat.

Other and further objects and advantages of my inven tion will appearfrom reading the following specification taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the ladys head with the hat of thepresent invention positioned thereon.

FIG. 2 is an assembly perspective view of the hat shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 3--3 inFIG. 4.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adjustable portion of the outer bandof the hat shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the outerband.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another form of the invention employinga pair of bands, an inner band with strands of hair over it and an outerdecorative band fitted over the strands of hair and inner band.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bands shown in FIG. 6 positioned forengagement.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the outer band shown in FIG. 6 with theouter, accordion sleeve partially inserted thereon illustrating themanner of construction thereof.

FIG. 9 is a modified form of the outer band created by wrapping adecorative strip in an overlapping spiral around the inner band.

Referring initially to FIG. 1 a lady 10 is wearing the hat 12 of thepresent invention which consists of an outer band 14 confining aselective piece of decorative material or swatch of cloth 16 fastened inplace on the hair of the head.

Referring to FIG. 2 it is readily seen that the hat in FIG. 1 comprisesthe outer band 14, the swatch of decorative material 16 and an innerband 18 of slightly smaller size than the outer band 14 and withsufiicient clearance or distance therebetween to provide a snug fit butto allow for the alternative provision of a swatch of material 16therebetween. Bands or hoops 14, 18 may be constructed from metal, wood,plastic or cardboard depending upon the price contemplated or by acombination of these materials such as wood and plastic.

Band 14 is of circular construction as seen in FIG. 4 and has a brokenportion at 20 to which is attached an adjustment plate or portion 22fitting in a slot in the channel 24 of the opposed side and urged intoclosed position by means of a coil spring 26 fastened at one end 28 toone side of the band and at the other end 30 to the other side.According to this construction, outer band 14 is adjustable and may befastened in place easily by expanding the ends at portion 22 andslipping or fitting same over the top of the material 16 and somestrands of hair which have been brought in place by resting the innerband 18 on top of the head and pulling the strands across the topthereof. Once in place, outer band 14 locks the inner band 18 and swatch16 securely in place and the hat may be used while involved inactivities such as serving at parties or as by an airline stewardess onan airplane.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the outer band 14of the previous embodiment is replaced by an aluminum or other materialband 50 having terminal ends 52, 54 in a contiguous relation lyingagainst each other and each end 52, 54 having a plurality of pairs ofaligned openings 56 adapted to be placed in alignment with each other ina selected position and fastened as by means of a small strand ofplastic or nylon or wire 58.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 6, the hat consistsentirely of a decorative outer band 60 which as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9may be of alternative construction. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, band 60is constructed from an inner, lightweight metal band or curved strap 62formed into a circular formation and provided with a plurality of holes64 on both ends of the band 62 which may be used for tying the band ends66, 68 together with light string or other securing means not shown. Adecorative, accordion-pleated sleeve or tube 70 formed from attractivematerial is fitted entirely over the band 62 by feeding one end 72 ofsleeve 70 onto the end 68 (or vice versa if one chooses to start withend 66) and then slipping the tube 70 around the band covering band 62covering same completely to form the decorative, outer band 60 shown inFIGS. 6 and 7. A velveteen or velvet-like material provides anattractive outer cover or sleeve 70 and by itself lends an attractive,somewhat pill-box effect to the outer band 60 which is the only thingshowing. The inner band 80 may be constructed from any materialincluding cardboard or paper or lightweight metal material. It may becovered with a lightweight nylon net 82 or wrapped in lightweight paperor otherwise spray finished or covered as one may desire.

Thus, the hat designated generally by the reference numeral 86 iscomposed of and comprises entirely the outer band 60 and the inner band80 which as shown in FIG. 6 is positioned on the head 88 by crowning thetop of the head with the inner band 80 and lifting selected strands ofhair 90 at intervals around the periphery of the band 80 from the insideof the head over the top of band 80 and then slipping band 60 onto band80 trapping or confining the strands of hair between the outer band 60and the inner band 80. The resulting efiect is not apparent by onelooking as the strands of hair are substantailly hidden by the band 60and it appears as though the person is wearing a small hat held in placeby means not immediately apparent.

In the alternative form of the .outer band 92 shown in FIG. 9, an innerband 94 constructed from paper, light metal of other material has itsends fastened at 96 and is covered by a decorative material 98 in theform of a strip of decorative ribbon, velveteen, plastic foam or othermaterial which is .secured at one end 100 and then wrapped ina spiralfashion overlapping the successive wraps with each other to form acompletely wrapped and decorative outer band. The effect and use of thisouter band 92 is substantially the same as its counter part 60 showninFIG. 6.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my inventionin FIG. 1 together with various modifications thereof in the otherfigures of the drawings, this is for purpose of illustration onlythereby to teach one skilled in the art how to construct one or moreembodiments of my invention but this is not to be construed as any sortof limitation on the scope of my invention since various alterations,substitutions, changes, deviations, eliminations and ramifications maybe made in the embodiment shown and described without departing from thescope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hat adapted to be worn on the head of a lady,

(a) an inner band of fixed size adapted to be positioned on top of thehead and adapted to have strands of hair lifted and positionedthereover,

(b) an outer band, means for adjusting said outer band,

said outer band having a decorative cover thereon, and being larger thansaid inner band and being resiliently engaged therewith whereby saidouter bandwill fit over the inner band to trap some of the strands ofhair there between and,

(c) said outer band being positioned over said inner band to fit snuglythereon to receive a wearers hair between and to provide a hat that isreadily removed and stored in a pocketbook.

2. The device claimed in claim 1 wherein said adjusting means comprisesaligned openings in said outer band, and an attachment member receivedin said aligned openings.

3. The device claimed in claim 2 wherein said outer band includesmaterial fitted thereover covering said adjusting means.

4. The device claimed in claim 3 wherein said material comprises a tubeof accordion pleated, decorative velvet material.

5. The device claimed in claim 3 wherein said material is wrapped aboutinner and outer surfaces of the band and overlapped with itselftherearound.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 345,660 7/86Ashworth 4524.7 566,779 9/96 Liebreich l3254 X 698,443 4/02 Brunner13260 882,737 3/08 Bixby ..a 4524.7 998,657 7/11 Thomas 4524.7 1,140,5065/15 Donahue 4524.7 2,651,044 9/53 Stankiewicz et al 2171 2,651,310 9/53Selson 132-48 2,709,261 5/55 Kalensky -5 2-198 2,767,404 10/56 Collins2198 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A HAT ADAPTED TO BE WORN ON THE HEAD OF A LADY, (A) AN INNER BANDOF FIXED SIZE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON TOP OF THE HEAD AND ADAPTED TOHAVE STRANDS OF HAIR LIFTED AND POSITIONED THEREOVER, (B) AN OUTER BAND,MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID OUTER BAND, SAID OUTER BAND HAVING A SECORATIVECOVER THEREON, AND BEING LARGER THAN SAID INNER BAND AND BEINGRESILIENTLY ENGAGED THEREWITH WHEREBY SAID OUTER BAND WILL FIT OVER THEINNER BAND TO TRAP SOME OF THE STRANDS OF HAIR THERE BETWEEN AND, (C)SAID OUTER BAND BEING POSITIONED OVER SAID INNER BAND TO FIT SNUGLYTHEREON TO RECEIVE A WEARER''S HAIR BETWEEN AND TO PROVIDE A HAT THAT ISREADILY REMOVED AND STORED IN A POCKETBOOK.